Richard Meier Frank Stella: Art and Architecture

the Palazzo delle Esposizioni

Rome, Italy

July 8 - August 30, 1993

The exhibition was a marriage of two ambitions: bringing together Meier and Stella with the culture of classical masters, and offering the city a fresh taste of western approaches to art and architecture. Meier often cites his influence by Roman masters including Bramante and Bernini. Through his emphasis of the timeless qualities of material, proportion, and light, Meier’s work strikes a harmonious chord with many of Rome’s classical architects and artists. Further, as Rome’s Sub Commissioner Camerlo Rocca noted, the presence of Meier and Stella’s work allowed the Italian culture to experience their western counterparts first hand, and critically examine the state of Italy’s museums and contemporary artistic discourse. Others such as Mario Docci of the University “La Sapienza” noted the declining attendance and increased staleness of the museum system in Rome, looking to Meier’s museum work presented in the exhibition as an opportunity to enliven the local students and professionals.